Do away with Westminster system

I OPEN with the declaration, “historical records and interpretations from myriads of facts are the most useful in helping men to decide what kind of a world they want and in guiding mankind in its eternal quest for that world”.
Understanding the historical fact that Westminster democracy originated from a part of the world known as western culture sets the tone to essentially, both for clarity of thought and for effective analysis, fundamentals for my view.
With limited understanding, I have laboured long to understand PNG’s experience under it, and our struggle for attainment of higher levels of civilisation as those enjoyed by its creators (masters).
At the outset, I must, as precisely and cogently as possible, assert that PNG’s education of Westminster democracy has become so strait-jacketed by tradition that it loses all relevance to its cancerous effects on our national aspirations and superiority.
We fail to fact check that under imperialism, it’s central purpose was to provide a general dominance synthesis of economic growth in western culture by subjugating differing cultures and factors, be they political, social, or intellectual, as well as economic (capitalism).
It does not require rocket science to distinguish the oppressive cause-and-effect on tribal communal cultures such as PNG’s.
It is my firm conviction that PNG has been guilty in adopting Westminster democracy at face value without plan or reason and that we have made little effort to establish its intended neocolonial relationship.
Even more irritating, after decades of declining nationalism and native cultural superiority, PNG’s intellectual and political elites’ incessant failure and ignorance to research and debate aggressively it’s framework considering the punitive suffocation and social injustice on the majority of the population.
We’ve fallen into the trap of blaming our own (leadership) rather than the contagiously breast-fed system that contaminates them.
Former PM Sir Mekere Morauta labelled PNG’s governance structures (Westminster) as systematically corrupt.
I utterly salute the calls by Governors’ Allan Bird and Garry Juffa for debate on a homegrown system that wholeheartedly embraces PNG’s culture, superiority, and national aspiration.
Historical facts from political revolutions of powerful economies from non-western cultures such as Indonesia, India, China, Iran, Koreas, Cuba, and Japan amongst others should provide enough guidance we need.
The task may seem extremely complex to those who wish to live on their knees, but the complexity of reality in a world of kings and pawns, equals and unequal, rich and poor, seems something which PNG should navigate to decide the kind of world it wants to create for its citizens.

Douglas Patiken Barara,
8-Mile, Pom